And What About Now?
by april-karev
Summary: "She's in love with you, man." Nathan whispered as the class started, "How can you not see that?"


**AN: So this story just kind of popped into my head last night and I decided to run with it. It's kind of an AU type of story, if you couldn't tell by the pairing, but I think I explained everything pretty well. My only beta is spell check so all errors are my own. Reviews are always encouraged and appreciated, even if they're bad. Happy reading.**

"_And What About Now?"_

"Don't leave again." She said, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "Please."

"She's with someone else, Rach. She's in love with him. I have no reason to stay."

The sound of her hand hitting his face was unmistakable, a few people looking up from their lunch to witness the scene.

"You know what, maybe you don't. she said before storming off in the other direction.

"I heard about what happened at lunch, dude." Nathan said as he took his seat next to Jake for their 7th period English class. "Tough break."

"I don't get it. She knows I came back for Peyton, and now that, that's not gonna happen why wouldn't I go back to Savannah?"

Nathan looked over at him with a look of disbelief. "You're kidding right?" he asked.

"No." the other boy responded, "Am I missing something."

"She's in love with you, man." Nathan whispered as the class started, "How can you not see that?"

"What?" Jake responded, his tone hushed, "She doesn't… she couldn't."

"Wake up. She hasn't been with anyone since you left."

"She told me to fight for Peyton." Jake argued.

"She wants you to be happy." Nathan said, "Even if it's not with her."

Jake swallowed hard as he thought it over. Maybe Nathan was right. He stood up from his char suddenly, gathering his books.

"Where do you think you're going, Mr. Jagalski?" Mr. Pete asked, "Class has started."

Jake didn't bother responding and Nathan laughed as he left the room in a hurry. He walked down the hallway to where Rachel was supposed to be in Calculus, seeing her chair empty he pulled out his phone, quickly dialing her number.

"This is Rachel, leave a message."

"Damn it, Rach. Pick up." He said, ending the call before hitting redial. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." After getting her machine for a third time he shoved his phone into his pocket. He took off across the quad as if he couldn't reach his car fast enough. Reaching her house in record time, not even bothering to cut the engine before hopping out.

"Rach!" he called out, "You here?" His voice echoed through the house and after a little bit of a search he concluded that the house really was empty.

"Where are you." He said, looking around her room for some sort of sign, anything. He picked up the picture frame laying on the floor next to her bed, the cracked glass indicating that she had thrown it down with a little bit of force and he shook his head.

"Of course." He shook his head, wondering how he hadn't thought of it sooner. He was at the local playground in less than 10 minutes, and sure enough her car was parked on the side of the road.

He climbed to the top of the slide effortlessly, remembering the days when this place had been his home away from home. He had met Rachel here when they were 7 years old. She was hiding from her parents and they'd stayed up at the top of the slide all day, talking about nothing. He didn't know it at the time, but he had made a life long friend that day.

He stopped at the top of the stairs, his breath caught in his throat. He wasn't sure he had ever seen her this broken. Her face was streaked red, the stain left behind by dried tears. Her knees were brought up to her chest, her head resting against them. She looked up when he climbed over the bar, sitting down next to her, there bodies pressed together because of the lack of available room.

"I tried to call you." He said quietly.

"I didn't want to talk to you." She responded, not making eye contact.

"And what about now?" he asked.

She didn't answer and he pressed on, "I didn't mean what I said earlier. I'm sorry."

"I thought you'd be gone by now." She said.

"I decided to stick around for a while, if you don't mind."

"Do whatever you want." She snapped.

"Rachel, look at me." He said, his hand resting against her cheek as she finally looked up at him. "You mean so much to me."

"Not enough."

"I don't know what to say." He swallowed, "Why didn't you tell me how you felt?"

"I shouldn't have to tell you." She responded, "You should have known."

"Rachel…" he said, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"Tell me you don't feel anything for me. Tell me you never thought about it."

"We've been friends for so long, I didn't think it was possible for anything to ever happen between us."

"And what about now?" She asked, repeating his question from earlier.

"Now I just want to be with you, any way I can. I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"Kiss me, Jake." She said after a minute. "Just one kiss, and if you don't feel anything I won't ever bring it up again."

He leaned in, his lips brushing over hers once, so lightly that he almost didn't feel it. He let out a breath against her lips, applying a little bit more pressure as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled away a minute later he was smiling.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said as he reached for her hand, there fingers tangling together.

I guess you could say it was fate that he realized his feelings for her on that slide, six months after there first kiss it was where they slept together for the first time, it was where he asked her to be his wife the day after they both graduated from college, and when she found out they were gonna be parents she took him there and told him.

Some people never get the things they wish for, but Rachel did, and it was everything she dreamed of and more.


End file.
